°go3 J General Notes. 21 I 



three narrowing circles about the schooner preparatory to alighting, 

 which it soon did in a dazed and somewhat exhausted condition. I 

 caught the bird in mv hands, and on examination I found it to be literally 

 nothing but skin and bones. However, we were loath to take its life and 

 accordingly improvised a cage on the bottom of which was placed a 

 quantity of small pieces of rock from the ship's ballast. No sooner had 

 our captive been placed in the cage than it began to flip these stones over 

 with its beak, in search of its usual quariy. A dish containing salt water 

 was placed within reach. After taking a few swallows, it proceeded to 

 toss stones and loose bits into the receptacle with its beak, and then, for 

 want of something better to do, it waded in and tossed them out again. 

 Fresh water it did not seem to care for at all. We were at a loss to know 

 what we could offer the bird from the ship's store that it would be liable 

 to eat. Lobster, being shell-fish, was first tried. Of this the bird would 

 only take bits in its bill when it would note an unusual flavor, and con- 

 demn it as food. Bits of oyster were tried and similarly rejected. 

 Tinned clam, roast meat, and fresh fish were refused. Boiled rice and 

 other cereals were offered without avail. Finally cockroaches, which 

 were the only insect pest on shipboard, were suggested and tried. It 

 was interesting to watch the Turnstone assault them. The bug, which 

 is an adept at self concealment, would no sooner strike the bottom of the 

 cage than it would scurry under a stone. The bright-eyed bird would 

 give instant chase, roll the stone to one side and snap up the bug. Then 

 beating it vigorously on the ground several times, it would lay it down 

 and observe it narrowly. Taking it up again and giving it a final thrash 

 or two it proceeded to gulp it down. Cockroaches were evidently not 

 suitable food, for on the second morning after its capture the bird was 

 found dead. 



I made it into a skin, which bears a tag stating that it was an adult 

 male, taken on the date and in the locality mentioned, in full autumn 

 plumage, measuring 9.30 in. in length ; wing, 6.05 in. ; culmen, .85 in. ; 

 tarsus .95 in. 



At the time the Turnstone came on board we were some 500 miles to 

 the north and east of Midway Island, which was the probable destination 

 of the bird (and where we had observed the same species only a few days 

 previously). Assuming the bird had started from Alaska on its fall 

 southerly migration it was at the time of its capture 1800 miles out from 

 the nearest land, and must have been in continuous flight for more than 

 40 hours before it sighted our vessel. The fact that it was alone was 

 unusual, as the species commonly migrates in small flocks, of which we 

 saw quite a number while Ave were performing our journey of over 7000 

 miles in the Mid-Pacific— Wm. Alanson Bryan, Bishop Museum, 

 Honolulu^ H. I. 



Nesting of the Goshawk in Southern New Hampshire. — On the 21st 

 of July, 1902. I came upon a large Accipiter in a clearing in some woods 



